Tenzai
by speciaLchiLd00
Summary: KK. Not everything in this world has logic.
1. Why It All Started

"speech"

'thoughts'

_POV of a character_

**TENZAI**

**Chapter 1**

**Why It All Started**

_**- Kanzaki -**_

_The wind is probably the most soothing thing in this world. Just staring into nothingness and feeling the presence, the movement and the sound of the wind relaxes my mind and frees it from its thoughts that are grisly to many._

_Yes. A genius like me does not want to think at times, too. People often associate the word genius with extreme 24/7 thinking but they're wrong. Even geniuses need some time off._

_And oh! The waters.. Try looking into the urbane fluidity of those cerulean depths and your mind will be filled with comfort. Cherubic joy._

_Since I was a child, the wind and the waters have been my best friends. Not the girls my age who cry merely because their brothers ruin the hair of their dolls. I'm not as shallow as them. Dolls and candies are not my idea of enjoyment._

_Together with the books people of IQ 200 usually read, the whispering wind and the lissome waters give me the limpid atmosphere I need all the time._

_Just like today._

_You're asking where I am? Well, where else could you find the peace and quiet I've been describing but in the ocean?_

_Yes, you read it right. I'm currently in a ship cruising my way to Okinawa._

_No. I'm not on a field trip again with Onizuka and the others. If I was with them, no silence will be available even just for a while. They are probably in the rooftop of Seirin now, laughing their hearts out because of an argument between Onizuka and Murai._

_All of them._

_Well, not really._

Kikuchi has just emerged from the foyer of the ship, yawning and stretching when he saw Kanzaki standing in the far end of the ship's deck.

_**- Kikuchi -**_

_What a lovely day! A day away from the hustle and bustle of the city is certainly a day to be thankful for.._

_It feels really great to free your mind of the boring lecture of teachers. Not that they are burdens to me. I don't need to listen to them anyway. I actually don't need to lift a finger to get good grades._

_But still..! Getting away from those and knowing that you'll still ace in the honor role would make any student chortle._

And chortling, Kikuchi actually did. With that, the other genius immediately glowered at the guy who confounded her peace.

"What are _you_ laughing at?"

Upon hearing the question, Kikuchi broke from his trance, too.

"Oh.. A pleasant morning to you, Kanzaki."

The girl just continued looking at him, nonplussed as he ambled to her side. To her disappointment, he just leaned on the railing and stared at the oceans, just like what she did earlier.

But Kanzaki Urumi doesn't leave any question unanswered.

"So?"

But Kikuchi Yoshito seems to have forgotten, well, neglected the question. Instead of answering, it is now his turn to look in disbelief.

Kanzaki sighed.

'What's with this guy??'

"You're losing it, Kikuchi. I asked you what you were laughing at."

He then remembered about the repeated question and looked back at the waters.

"When do people laugh, Kanzaki?"

Seeing that it might start another repartee, Kanzaki turned her gaze to the ocean and answered.

"When they're going demented."

Kikuchi laughed a bit and said,

"If that's the case, everybody could have been crazy by now..."

He looked at the latter..

"... Including you."

.. And smiled.

Kanzaki looked at him and replied,

"People don't just laugh without reason. There must be a reason. Any. Even just a silly observation they had."

Kikuchi narrowed his eyes before answering.

"Don't worry. It's not that I observed anything silly about you, or something."

Kanzaki looked at him and raised her left eyebrow.

"Eh?"

Kikuchi smiled at her.

"I guess I'm just happy."

Kanzaki smiled again.

"I can see that. You've been smiling and laughing a lot since you went out. What I'm asking is why you're happy."

Kikuchi replied.

"And you've been sighing a lot. Anyway, aren't you happy that we're having peace away from the noisy city and while doing so, we are still guaranteed of even higher grades than before?"

Taking in what he said, Kanzaki nodded.

"I am, actually."

She then returned her focus to the scenic beauty in front of her.

Kikuchi smiled contentedly at the outcome of their conversation and took time to take in the beauty in front of him – scenic and not Though he'd never admit it.

_**- Kikuchi -**_

_I don't know what brought us here so suddenly. Nevertheless, I'm still glad that she's the one I'm with – not somebody else._

_FLASHBACK_

"_What did they say?" Yoshikawa asked._

"_Well.." I started. Pretty lame start, I guess._

"_C'mon, everyone's been wondering why the two of you have been called to that detention.. Um... The principal's office." Murai said, elbowing me._

_I arched my eyebrow a bit._

"_Detention?" I asked._

"_Hehe.." Murai replied, suddenly being so sheepish._

_Fujiyoshi answered for him._

"_Well, you see, most students they call there are subject for detention. Unlike you, we get called there for failing in our exams, bringing porn magazines, or vandalizing in the comfort rooms. That's why we call it detention cell."_

_I nodded. I sort of knew from the beginning what he'll answer do I didn't push the topic._

_Murai snapped up and said,_

"_So?"_

_I just looked at him._

"_Why did they call you there? I didn't know geniuses are allowed there..! Hehe.."_

_I sighed and looked at them one by one. I had to make it sound simple so I went straight to the point._

"_The Seirin Research Council requested _us_ to do their latest experiment about echolocation in Okinawa."_

_They looked at each other, befuddled. Eventually Yoshikawa spoke up._

"_Just the two of you?"_

"_Aa. They said we're the only ones qualified for the job."_

_Murai spoke again. This time, with a bit of disgust._

"_If I know, they are only willing to pay up for two people."_

_However, Fujiyoshi ignored Murai's comment and asked,_

"_So what did _you _say?"_

"_I said I'll think about it."_

_Kusano reacted._

"_Why?? Are you afraid you'll miss the lessons?"_

_I turned away from them and looked down the campus Did I tell you that we're on the rooftop?_

"_It's not that. You know all too well that even if we absent ourselves for six months, we'd still be able to catch up with the lessons. Besides, they said they'll give us additional grades for it."_

_Kusano asked again, backing-up for his last statement._

"_If that's the case, why don't you just grab the opportunity and start packing for you trip??"_

_Murai also asked, sarcasm obvious in his voice._

"_Yeah.. Are you afraid of the dangers of marine life?? Eh?"_

_Of course I answered him with sarcasm, too._

"_Very funny, Murai. Very funny."_

"_Oh, I know. It's not those that Kikuchi's afraid of." Fujiyoshi exclaimed._

_The others turned their attention to him and said in chorus, "What?"_

"_It's not a 'what'. It's a 'who'."_

_He approached me with a macabre look and said in a low voice,_

"_It's Kanzaki, ne?"_

_My eyes widened a bit at his comment and i stood there, shocked._

_Not that I was shocked for being divulged. What I was thinking was not related to Kanzaki at all. Besides, she's the one I hang out with most of the time. I mean, we understand each other. I guess it's because our intellectual wavelengths, of not the same, are not far from each other._

_Kusano reacted, too._

"_You have a point there. Kanzaki can be dangerous. And being alone with someone like her can be creepy."_

_I don't know what made them think that but now that they mentioned it, it could actually be suicide to be with Urumi Kanzaki, genius extraordinaire, the girl who had bombed a school in her childhood._

_I guess I've been thinking for quite a while 'coz after that, Murai also approached me._

"_Now guys, why would you think that? We all know that Kikuchi and Kanzaki are _really_ close friends."_

_But of course, with the way Murai said his words, You know, a way that's really.. ugh.. teasing. I just had to object, or rather, deny._

"_Not really, Murai. Number one, I'm no closer to her than anybody else in here. Number two, that girl could actually be a threat to humanity. And I'm not an exception."_

_Upon saying my line, the genius herself emerged from out of nowhere. Speaking of the devil_

_She approached us with those tantalizing eyes, one, when coming from her, is malignant. Remember her innocent, pleading eyes when the police accused Onizuka of raping her? Yeah, that one._

"_Oh, I'm forlorn, Kikuchi-kun."_

_Of course, the others turned their attention to the newcomer and gasped._

"_Of all people I thought _you_ were the one who understood me.. I fonly I knew you thought of me as a threat to humanity!!"_

_She covered her face and 'cried'._

_The others looked at me like I'm a criminal. They gave me that go-on-and-say-sorry look that although I know she's just goofing around, I had to say sorry. Besides, it could have possibly hit her. Even just a bit. I never wanted to hurt a girl, you know. Most especially Kanzaki._

_So I approached her a bit hesitantly._

"_Gomen, gomen Kanzaki. I didn't know you were listening."_

_She continued her cries nonetheless._

"_You mean to say, you'd still say that about me when I'm behind your back just because I'm not listening? Some friend."_

_This girl can really think of an answer quite fast._

"_No, it's not that—"_

_I was about to reach for her slumped shoulders when she snapped up._

"_So, you're not afraid of me?"_

_See? This girl really thinks fast._

"_Of course I'm not! Who told you I am?!"_

_She folded her arms, her tears miraculously 'disappeared'._

"_I can read between the lines, you know."_

_I know that. When I said she's a threat to all of us, I knew it went out like I am afraid of her, of being with her alone in Okinawa. But there's a difference. I said that so that Murai won't go on teasing._

"_Me of all people? I repeat, I am _not_ afraid of you, Urumi Kanzaki."_

_Then she grinned and said,_

"_If you're not, then there's no reason not to go to Okinawa with moi."_

_I knew it. It'd all come down to this. My lips are quite fast. I didn't even register it in my mind when I answered one stupid word that probably made me look stupid._

"_Eh?"_

_She was about to go away, leaving dumbfounded Murai, Fujiyoshi, Yoshikawa and Kusano behind when I said,_

"_Okay, okay. I'd go. If that's the only way to prove it, I'm going."_

_She looked back at us and smiled that victorious smile._

_END FLASHBACK_

_So here I am today, gazing into the ocean, miles away from home and nearing Okinawa._

_Not bad, after all._

_I'm not certain of what'll happen next but—_

His thoughts were interrupted when the husband and wife in charged of accompanying them and seeing to it that they're safe and unharmed, went out.

"We're arriving in thirty minutes."

Kanzaki replied,

"Hai."

Then the couple went back in.

Kanzaki told Kikuchi,

"I'm gonna go fix my stuff. I suggest you do the same thing."

With that, she's off.

A minute after, Kikuchi followed.


	2. This Is Just The Beginning

"speech"

'thoughts'

_POV of a character_

**TENZAI**

**Chapter 2**

**This Is Just The Beginning**

The moment they arrived, Kikuchi and Kanzaki were lead to a house about a hundred steps from the ocean.

After a long walk of admiring the waves and the dolphins from afar, they finally reached the house.

The woman stopped first in front of the entrance and faced them, her hands clasped in front.

"This is our house.. It's not much, but I hope you enjoy your stay here."

Kikuchi smiled at her and looked at Kanzaki.

"Hai, Ryoko-san. I'm sure we're going to enjoy it here. Ne, Kanzaki?"

Kanzaki looked at him like she's an innocent girl and bowed.

"H—Hai. Arigato, Ryoko-san.. And Koji-san.."

The man of about middle-thirties named Koji replied.

"Doitashimashite.. It's always a pleasure to help youth like you who are helping the community in such a young age."

Kanzaki and Kikuchi both felt flattered at the comment and looked at each other, both thinking:

'Is our duty really _that_ big a deal?"

Seeing the reaction of the two, Ryoko-san just smiled at them and opened the door for them.

The house wasn't whopping but the space is just enough for the husband-and-wife and for some visitors. It was made mostly of wood, which gave the place enough breathing space. The ceiling was high, like an old-fashioned house. Windows covered with beautifully unfussy curtains surrounded the place. Since it was situated near the ocean, its atmosphere provided a shipshape and fresh feeling to its residents.

The moment you enter the house, the living room will welcome you. The furnishings were pretty simple. A television set, a living room set – lounge chairs and tables made a la native Japanese.

"If you're bored and you just want a bit of an entertainment, you can watch tv in here. There aren't much channels, either.. But I think they'll do for intelligent children like you." Koji said, gesturing to the place.

Walking just a bit further, you'll come along the dining area. The round dining table and the wooden chairs around it were also of Japanese style, just a bit elevated than usual.

This time, the woman spoke.

"If you want something to eat, there's always food in the refrigerator. Just help yourselves, okay?"

At the far end is the comfort room.

"This comfort room is just for visitors but since you're staying here, you'll be provided with your own rooms. Those rooms have their own comfort rooms, which are more convenient and personal. I suggest you use those."

The two just nodded along the way, silently wishing to arrive in their rooms and plunge themselves in bed.

They were lead to a staircase that directed them to the second floor. There was a corridor right in the middle and while passing through, the rooms were presented to them one by one.

The first stop was a door to the right, with a chime, dolphins and blue chains dangling and striking each other when the door is opened.

"This will be... uhm.." Ryoko gestured to Kikuchi.

"It's Kikuchi Yoshito, Ryoko-san." Koji said for her.

The woman slapper herself in the forehead and said,

"Yoshito, it is! Why do I always forget??"

Koji looked at him and said,

"This will be your room, Yoshito."

Kikuchi nodded in affirmation at the older man.

'Yoshito, eh? I have to get used to being called by my first name starting today..'

They walked further and to the left was another door, this time, the chimes were silver and a house and a sun was in the middle, surrounded.

"This is our room." Koji-san said.

"If ever you need something, all you have to do is knock right here.. It's easy to locate since it's opposite of you rooms." Ryoko said.

Upon hearing that, the two already knew which door lead to Kanzaki's room. It was a second door to the right. This time, the chimes are colored pink and purple, with angels that seem dancing around.

Since they both looked at that direction, the man, Koji-san said,

"I see you have detected the girl's room."

They walked to it and inspected the doorknob. Koji-san opened it but closed it again, signaling that they were just testing if the door s functioning.

Kikuchi was already looking forward to being able to rest since they were already shown their rooms when he noticed one last door to the left.

"Is someone occupying that room, Koji-san?" He asked the older man, pointing to the door.

Koji chuckled a bit, making Kikuchi wonder, before answering.

"No, son, because that is not a room."

He walked to the door and opened it widely for all of them to see.

"It's a terrace."

Upon getting a quick look at the promising view in the terrace, the two geniuses walked excitedly through the door.

Kanzaki leaned against the railings and placed her left arm above it while her left elbow rested on it for her chin to rest on her hand.

"Kawaii.." She said just above a whisper.

It was probably the best spot in the house. Perfect for Kanzaki since the wind was blowing her tresses gently and the vast area, not only of the water, but also the lands, was visible.

Kikuchi stretched his arms and stifled a yawn.

"Soothing..."

Ryoko0san broke their trance and said,

"I guess we'll leave you here, then. If you need something, just ask us. We'll be around the area."

"Your principal told us that you can have the rest of the day to familiarize yourselves with the place. She said you can start you project tomorrow." Koji added.

The two seniors left, closing the door gently with a soft click.

Kikuchi turned around to follow them when Kanzaki spoke up.

"What are you planning to do?"

Kikuchi was shaken a bit, making him look back at his shoulders.

"I guess I'll fix my things and sleep for a while.."

Kanzaki removed her touch from the railings and approached him, hitting his back playfully.

"You sleepyhead! We just arrived! I thought you just woke up when we had a conversation in the ship..! That was, let me see, an hour and a half ago!"

"It's an hour after noon, Kanzaki. Do you think I possibly just woke up that time?" Kikuchi said nonchalantly.

"Yes, I mean, it's possible!" Kanzaki said.

Kikuchi faced her completely now and said,

"Maybe with Onizuka, but not me."

The female genius looked at the male and placed her hands on her waist.

"Oh, C'mon, Kikuchi! We only have the rest of this day! Why don't we tour the place or something?"

Kikuchi grinned at her.

"Getting frivolous, eh, Kanzaki? You wanna spend time with me?"

Kanzaki arched her brows at this and frowned.

"In your dreams, Kikuchi, in your dreams."

"Well then, why did you want me to be with you in this project so desperately that you even had to pull that stunt back then? Huh?"

Kikuchi said with mockery.

Kanzaki's eyes widened a bit in realization.

'Why did I, anyway?? Uhm.., But I have to come up with an excuse!!'

"Well, Mr. Kikuchi Yoshito, _I _didn't want to end up being with the next best thing.. Or in this case, person."

She then walked past him and to the door, her arms folded across her chest.

"Don't think so highly, Kikuchi. Remember I can do things even if I'm alone."

She closed the door behind her, leaving Kikuchi who was shaking his head with a smile.

They proceeded to their rooms after that, setting up their stuff and observing the rooms given to them.

After a while, Kikuchi took a nap, as he has planned while Kanzaki went down to the dining room.

She looked around the place a little, touching the furnishings and testing their durability with her mere observations.

She also looked through the windows one by one to see the views outside each of them, fingering the cloth of the curtains each time. She saw one window were you can see a great deal of the ocean.

'The view here is good... But it still can't rival the one upstairs.'

Sighing, she went to open the refrigerator and looked for something to eat for snacks. She was surprised to see that it was actually packed to the brim with all sorts of food.

'Looks like they really prepared for our arrival..'

She finally got to chose what to eat. She got a pineapple juice and fruit cocktail – both canned.

'These will do..'

The juice was easy to open since you'll just have to flip the piece of aluminum on top but she had a hard time trying to open the cocktail. She tried looking for a can opener in the dish containers but she found none. She figured it must be in the cupboards since mothers usually put sharp objects in high places.

She placed the stuff on top of the dining table first and pulled a short ladder which she had spotted while she was observing. She clambered up, and searched for a can opener.

'Who invented such high cupboards???'

The cupboards were just too high for her so her arms were extended, her hands wandering aimlessly in search for a can opener. She pulled out a couple of things, like knives, spatulas, et cetera. Fortunately, the handles were the ones facing the cupboard's opening or else she'd been cut by now.

After about two minutes, she finally found a can opener.

'Finally...!'

But due to her enjoyment, relief for finally having found one she forgot that she was stepping on a ladder and she lost her balance.

She shut her eyes tightly and prepared for her fall. After what seemed like forever, she realized that the cold, hard floor she expected to fall on became warm and soft.

_**- Kikuchi -**_

_Oh.. What time is it??_

_I reached for my watch in the side table beside my bed._

_2:30 in the afternoon._

_Good. I didn't sleep too long._

_I sat up, stretched a bit and heard my stomach growl._

_Maybe it's time to take a snack._

_I fixed the covers and went to the bathroom first, washing my face and putting on my glasses. After that, I went out of my room and down the stairs._

_I was looking around when I heard clanking from the dining room, which seemed to be of stainless utensils._

_I was surprised to see Kanzaki, on a ladder, arms inside a cupboard, feeling for something._

_I guess she can really do things alone._

_Maybe not._

_Suddenly, I saw her losing her balance and threatening to fall. I ran to her with a speed I didn't know I had and caught her right on time._

Kanzaki opened her eyes slowly at first but when she realized what happened, her eyes grew larger quickly.

'Kikuchi...?'

Kikuchi smiled at her and said,

"Hey, I didn't know a girl would be more scared when a fall she was just about to experience was bunged."

The shock in Kanzaki's eyes was replaced with a mischievous glint.

"Actually..."

Kikuchi's smile faded and was replaced with a frown.

"Hmmmph..!" He said, looking to his side.

Kanzaki cachinnated and said between gasps,

"I.. I—was—just joking..!!"

Kikuchi faced her again, this time, catching her gaze.

Kanzaki's laugh slowly faded and they both became silent, looking into each other's eyes.

'How can one's eyes indicate both danger and childish innocence at the same time...? This is Kanzaki, alright.. Two eyes uniquely different from others, not only with the color....' Kikuchi thought.

On the other hand, Kanzaki was also thinking.

'I didn't know Kikuchi has indigo orbs.. They look.. Gorgeous..'

Realizing what just came to her mind, Kanzaki berated herself, her mind coming back to reality and realized what position they were currently in. She was laying right on top of Kikuchi, his arms around her protectively from her plummet. She immediately blushed and thought of what to say.

"Uhmm.. Err.. How about we share the cocktail I was planning to open?"

With the word 'open' she raised the can opener she was clutching in her right hand all throughout.

Then they noticed it had red stain in it.

Blood.

Kanzaki's initial reaction was to roll off Kikuchi and sit on the floor. She was still thinking about the gravity of the situation when she heard Kikuchi yelp.

She looked at Kikuchi who was clutching on his right arm.

'Put two and two together..' Kanzaki thought.

Then it hit her.

She was holding the can opener in her right hand. Her arms were crossed across each other when she fell. She landed on top of Kikuchi. Her right hand was pointing on Kikuchi's right side. There was blood on the can opener when she pulled it.. Kikuchi was clutching on his right arm.

Therefore..

"Kikuchi! Gomen.. Gomen.. I didn't realize.." She said, panic obvious in her voice.

She got up and went straight to the first aid kit near the cupboard and took out stuff she thought she'd need. She went back to Kikuchi and removed his hand around the wound.

"Be gentle, will you?" Kikuchi said rather rudely.

"Sorry." Kanzaki said, focusing on cleaning the wound.

Realizing that he was rude for almost shouting at the girl who's currently cleaning his wound, Kikuchi said,

"Sorry for that..."

Kanzaki looked at him incredulously and said in one breath,

"What are you being sorry for? I'm the one who should say sorry. I didn't realize I was already stabbing your arm with a can opener."

"Funny.. I didn't realize it, too until I saw the blood." Kikuchi said.

'I was too busy fawning at your beauty.' He thought.

'Now where did that come from??'

Kanzaki dressed the wound and stood up, stretching out her arms for Kikuchi.

'Isn't this supposed to be the guy's job?? Oh well, just for today..! If only I didn't fall off that stupid ladder!!'

Kikuchi looked at her like she was going to bite him.

Kanzaki, being the short-tempered girl that she was, got irritated.

"What now, Kikuchi? Alright." She paused for a while and dusted off some dirt on her pants.

"Stand up on your own if you can. You should be thankful that I'm offering you some help! It's very rare that I do _not _enjoy _hurting_ people! I even hurt them on purpose!"

Then she walked to the faucet, washing the can opener.

When she turned around, she was surprised to see Kikuchi standing right in front of her, smiling.

"What the hell??!"

Kikuchi said,

"Thanks. And how about we share that cocktail you were talking about a while ago?"

Kanzaki muttered a "Yeah right." Before walking to the dining table, taking the stuff and returned them, only to be replaced with new ones, plus another juice.


	3. Teachers Know Better

"speech"

'thoughts'

_POV of a character_

**TENZAI**

**Chapter 3**

**Teachers Know Better**

"What are you doing here?? Why are you here?"

Helping himself in the refrigerator, Onizuka answered his student.

"That's such nice welcome, Kikuchi. You're asking why I'm here? I'm your Social Studies teacher, that's why."

Kikuchi approached him, the drowsiness left from his sleep suddenly replaced with curiosity.

"That's such a nice answer, Onizuka-sensei."

The said teacher went to the dining table and placed the food he got, lots of them, on top. He sat comfortably on one chair and rested his arms on the back of the other two chairs beside him.

"Well, Kikuchi. We're here to supervise you on your first day."

Kikuchi followed him again, sitting on the other side, with a box of cornflakes and a bowl of milk in his hands.

"We? What do you mean we?"

Onizuka sipped some from his cup of.. What's that? Hot chocolate.

"I'm with Fuyutsuki-sensei."

"Oh, I see. Why were you the ones sent on our first day? Why wasn't it the principal instead?" Kikuchi said, all the while putting some cornflakes in the bowl.

"The principal will go on the last day of your trip." Onizuka said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Kikuchi looked him straight in the eye and said, "And?"

His dense teacher looked at him with dim-witted eyes.

"What do you mean, And??"

"That's the only reason? You could have gone with Nao-sensei.. Better yet, Uchiyamada-sensei could have gone instead of you. I don't believe that's the only reason." Kikuchi said, taking a spoonful of his breakfast.

Onizuka grinned at him and said,

"You're really a smart kid, Kikuchi. I _do_ have other reasons for going here."

Kikuchi focused his attention on his sensei again and asked,

"So what are the other reasons?"

The great teacher laughed a bit nervously before leaning closer to him and whispering,

"It's a way of spending time with Fuyutsuki-sensei, you know."

Kikuchi leaned on the back of his chair and said,

"Figures. I knew it.. You're chancing on her."

"Of course. A smart kid should know that you shouldn't let any opportunity that comes in your way just leave without you grabbing it."

The 'smart kid' fanned his hand in a yeah-right,-whatever! motion,

"Yeah, yeah. So where's Fuyutsuki-sensei?"

Onizuka sat up straight now.

"She's with Kanzaki. I think they took a morning jog around the beach, or something."

Kikuchi nodded an okay and continued on his breakfast.

There was a moment of silence before Onizuka spoke again.

"So, how are things going?"

His student looked at him skeptically and replied,

"What do you mean 'How are things going?' You know perfectly that this is just the first day of the project."

Eikichi looked at him with evil, accusing eyes.

"Don't play innocent on me, Kikuchi. You should know what I'm talking about."

"Honestly, I don't. So shut the crap and say what you mean."

Kikuchi said.

The teacher sighed and said,

"This is the first day of your experiment but this is _not_ the first day of your stay here."

Kikuchi snorted and said,

"That's obvious, you know."

Onizuka hit the table with clenched fists and suddenly turned serious.

"I'm not yet through here. So, has anything happened yet between.. You know.. You and Kanzaki? Huh?"

The 'accused' almost blew what he was drinking and coughed a bit before replying.

"Between _us_?? You're really a perv, Onizuka! Why would _something_ that happened between us be of interest to your perverted mind? We're here for an experiment, right?!"

The 'accuser' rolled his eyes and said,

"I told you. You shouldn't let an opportunity pass by. You're given this once-in-a-blue-moon chance of being with a girl so why don't you grab it?!?"

Kikuchi just couldn't believe what Onizuka was talking about.

"Kanzaki, of all people?!!"

The latter replied,

"Yeah. Kanzaki The genius you're always with. Everybody knows you two are like both sides of the same coin.. Well, except maybe for you two."

'This is getting weirder and weirder' Kikuchi thought.

"What??!" He retorted.

Onizuka sighed at his student's bafflement and continued his sermon.

"Oh, c'mon Kikuchi! You know that you two can understand each other most because your both.. Well.. intelligent!!"

Kikuchi was thinking as his sensei told him stuff.

'Yeah, so?'

"And you know what? She softens up a bit when she's with you! And vice versa. You're amicable with each other when you're not with others!"

'Am I not amicable with others? Maybe her, but not me. It's the people who don't talk to me much 'coz they think I'm too smart for them.' Kikuchi thought.

"Plus!" Onizuka paused a bit and made his student look at him.

"Her looks are not bad, either! She even fooled me of being a nineteen-year-old with her adequate body, flowing blonde hair and mature eyes!! Say I'm wrong if I am but she's a beautiful young lady."

Onizuka looked at his student, his eyes a bit wide and waiting for an answer.

Kikuchi stoop up and gathered his utensils, disappointing Onizuka and said,

"Whatever..!"

Onizuka said, "I'll take that as a yes.." and laughed a triumphant laugh.

Meanwhile..

"Let's take a break, Kanzaki. You know.. Older people get tired more easily than youth like you."

Kanzaki looked at her teacher and nodded.

"Oh.. okay."

They stopped by a bench in front of the ocean and each gulped a well-deserved bottle of water.

They sat there for a while, gazing into the oceans and resting their minds and bodies.

After a while, Fuyutsuki-sensei spoke.

"Are you okay, Kanzaki?"

The said student shook her head a bit and turned her attention to her teacher.

"I'm perfectly fine, sensei. What made you ask?"

"I was just thinking.." She began. "When I was your age, I would immediately decline being with a guy who's not my relative under the same roof even just for a day away from all the others. And you... You'll have to spend night_s _with Kikuchi – and you are.. confident."

Kanzaki laughed a bit.

"Well, sensei.. First of all, it's okay with me since we are under the supervision of two adults. Second, we have our own rooms and we're mature enough not to do anything inappropriate at all. Third, Kikuchi is a friend of mine and I trust him.."

Fuyutsuki looked at her in a way a teacher would at her student.

"Yeah.. But at your age, you can easily be taken by the intensity of situations and you'll never realize what mistakes you can do once you've done it."

The student smiled at her teacher and said,

"Exactly. I agreed to be with him and only him because we both have one principle: Brains first before emotions. It could have been more dangerous if it was some other guy. And besides, we're just friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

The teacher trusted her one of her top students and smiled, too.

"Well, I guess you can have it your way, then."

Kanzaki looked at the waters again and said,

"Don't worry, sensei. We won't do anything foolish. We'll concentrate on the experiment. That's what we came here for, anyway."

Fuyutsuki looked at her watch and shrieked a little and bolted up from her seat.

"We have to go!! Your first job is starting in an hour!"

Kanzaki laughed at her teacher's reaction and stood up.

They began their journey back to the house.

While they were walking, Azusa suddenly giggled. Kanzaki looked at her in disbelief.

"Huh?" came out of her lips.

The teacher looked at her and stopped giggling.

"Oh, I'm sorry.. I must've looked crazy."

Kanzaki said,

"You're like a schoolgirl who's just seen her crush, sensei. What were you giggling for?"

The teacher looked at her, eyes smiling, and said,

"I know it's weird but.. I just thought..."

Kanzaki looked at her, waiting.

"It's just that.. You and Kikuchi-kun actually look good together."

Kanzaki's eyes widened a bit at her teacher's comment and shouted,

"What??!"

Fuyutsuki stopped walking, making Kanzaki stop, too.

"It's true.. I mean, I even see you together most of the time. Even if you're with the rest of the gang, you two always work in sync."

Kanzaki sighed at her teacher's continual childishness and said,

"We only work together since we are au fait with each other. Sometimes our team-up is even deadly."

Azusa replied,

"Exactly. He's the only one who can comprehend your thoughts and you're the only who can comprehend his. That's why you're perfect for each other!"

"Huh? Just a while ago you were afraid of us living under one roof and now......"

Kanzaki stopped and raised her brow.

"Oh well.. Same charges repel, you know."

The teacher just thought, 'But I mean it!'

Seeing that Fuyutsuki is not going to talk about it more, Kanzaki continued walking to the house.

Soon after, the teacher followed.

When they were about to enter, Kanzaki stopped first, puching Fuyutsuki-sensei to a halt, too.

"What is it, Kanzaki?" She asked.

Now it's Kanzaki's turn to act like a schoolgirl, fiddling with her fingers.

"Thanks, I guess."

Azusa was dumbfounded at first but she asked,

"For what? For my comment about you and Kikuchi?"

Kanzaki snapped up and shook her head violently.

"No, no! Not that!"

"Well then, for what?"

"I just wanted to thank you because you're still acting so nice around me even if you're one of the teachers I've embarrassed in class." Kanzaki said.

Azusa smiled and gave her student a quick hug and whispered to her ear,

"You're starting to soften up, Kanzaki.. That's a good thing."

Then she opened the door, revealing a distressed Onizuka and Kikuchi.

Onizuka approached them first.

"What took you so long, Fuyutsuki? We should be starting by now. We don't have all day, you know."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Onizuka. Just a second okay? We're just gonna get dressed."

Azusa said, pulling Kanzaki with her up the stairs.

After a while, the two emerged, clean and feeling fresh once again.

"So, are we ready?" Kikuchi began.

"H-Hai." Kanzaki nodded and walked to him to the table.

"We're going to work _here?_"

Onizuka told her, "Yes, Kanzaki. Because today is just for planning."

Fuyutsuki got some stuff from her bag and showed it to them.

She handed them some papers with scribbles, drawing and diagrams on them.

"I believe you have read the proposals for this project so we won't study them anymore."

Onizuka blurted in,

"Yeah. We're gonna go to the main thing right away."

With that, they started discussing about the device to be used and the schemes to be executed.

After about an hour or two, they finished.

"That's it?" Kanzaki said.

"Yeah, that's it." Onizuka said.

"It's pretty simple since all you have to do is test the effectivity of the device for echolocation." Fuyutsuki said.

"Then it won't take us long. It's an easy job." Kikuchi said.

"I think even Murai and the others can do it." Kanzaki said.

Fuyutsuki-sensei walked back to the couch and picked up her things.

"I guess we should be going, Onizuka-sensei."

Onizuka nodded and picked up his things, too.

"You're right. I think I have done two of my goals. I'll have to work on the third."

Kikuchi raised his brow and said,

"There are three??? I thought there are only two of them."

"Well, you can guess the third. Ciao!" Onizuka said, waving his hand as he walked away, with a bemused Azusa trailing behind him.

When they got out, Kanzaki spoke up.

"What was that about??"

"Nothing, nothing.." Kikuchi said as he ran up to his bedroom.


	4. Assembly

"speech"

'thoughts'

_POV of a character_

**TENZAI**

**Chapter 4**

**Assembly**

"What the hell are you doing here??"

**_-Kikuchi-_**

_FLASHBACK_

_Yawn.. I slept well.. The bed's really comfy!_

_God, what time is it??_

_Waahh! Eight a.m?! It's already late!!_

_I got up abruptly and went to the bathroom for a quick morning wash. I went out about five minutes later and changed my pj's._

_I went out the room immediately. Well, I went back to look at myself in the mirror as an afterthought._

_I ran straight to the dining room where I usually see Ryoko-san, preparing about two hours before and cleaning thirty minutes after every meal. And there she was in her apron, washing the dishes she and her husband probably used._

_Hearing the loud footsteps (Those were mine..! I was running!), the old lady looked at me and smiled._

"_Ohayou, Yoshito!!"_

_Then she stopped a bit and looked at me intrigued._

"_Why are you in such a hurry?"_

_I stopped on my tracks and scratched the back of my head, a thing I don't normally do._

"_Well, uhm.. You see, Ryoko-san, I was in a hurry 'coz.. Well, it's already eight in the morning and it's already late."_

_She seemed to have finished her washing and wiped her hands on her apron. She approached me and said,_

"_Why, my son, it's _only_ eight in the morning! It's still pretty early. We have just finished eating, see?"_

"_It's because I usually wake up at six in the morning when there are no classes. Five if there is." I told her._

"_Well, it's okay to mess up with your daily schedule sometimes, you know."_

_She said, laughing a bit as she turn her back on me. Looks like she was going to the living room._

_But I stopped her._

"_Ryoko-san?"_

_She stopped and faced me again._

"_Hm?"_

"_Did you see Kanzaki?"_

_She replied,_

"_Oh, that girl, Urumi?"_

"_H-hai." I nodded in confirmation._

_She frowned a bit._

"_I haven't seen her yet since this morning. Looks like she also had a good night sleep last night."_

"_I see." I said, bowing a bit._

_And I forced myself to move fast!! I was planning on finishing our task early today! And what if the teacher in-charged for today comes early?_

_Ryoko-san probably saw that I was deeming on something because she said,_

"_I guess it won't hurt if you wake her up, you know. If you have something important, that is. Besides, you said it's already _late._"_

_I guess I was convinced because I thanked her immediately and ran straight to Kanzaki's room._

_I hesitated at first but then I thought making it fast would make it easier. So I knocked._

_But there was no reply._

_So I decided to open the door a bit, and peek in first. There she was, alright. Sleeping soundly in her bead. _

_I wonder what made her sleep this long._

_I wonder what she's dreaming of._

_Then I entered, keeping in mind not to make too much noise. I approached her and planned to just shake her and say,_

"_Oi! Kanzaki! Wake up!"_

_But then, seeing her angelic face made me stop. She looked really gentle and innocent when she's asleep. Her hair was still kempt and her hands were clasped together as she hugged another pillow. Her nose and lips are so cute. I wonder what it feels like to kiss them._

_What did I just say??!_

_I shook my head to free it from the thoughts that are rushing._

_And her eyes.. Her eyes are, well, different in color. But that's nothing new._

_Wait, her eyes?! It means.._

---

She instantaneously sat up straight in bed, looking at Kikuchi like he's some kind of criminal.

The boy immediately thought of something to say.

"Er.. Ohayo?"

Kanzaki just sat there, looking even more irked than earlier.

"Don't 'Ohayo' me! Answer my question! What are _you_ doing in _my_ room?"

"Chill, okay?" Kikuchi said calmly, walking closer to her.

But Kanzaki just won't allow him.

"Stop right there!"

Kikuchi raised his arms in defeat.

"Okay, okay?? Now will you please stop acting like a woman in menopausal stage?"

"Not until you answer my question!" Kanzaki retorted, her eyes now burning.

Kikuchi sighed and told her,

"I came here to wake you up. But obviously, I don't need to anymore."

Kanzaki's eyes softened a bit but there was still some anger in there.

"Baka! I just woke up 'coz I felt another person's presence in the room! So it was still you who woke me up!"

"I see." Kikuchi said. On second thought,

"Why are you so angry anyway? It's not like I'm gonna rape you, or something. Me, of all people?"

Kanzaki shoot a dagger to him through her eyes.

"You can never be so sure!"

"You really think – " Kikuchi started.

But Kanzaki won't let him have his way.

"Plus! You ruined my dream!!"

The accused guy looked at her in surprise.

"Geez, Kanzaki. I didn't know you treasured dreams. I didn't even think you believed in them enough to be irate at someone who broke them!"

The girl looked at him childishly.

"But this one's different..!"

"Eh?" Kikuchi said.

"Different?"

Kanzaki bowed down and held on to the edges of the bed.

"It's about.. Uhm.."

Kikuchi crossed his arms and leaned closer, anticipating her next statement.

"Well?"

But she suddenly looked back at him, surprising him.

"Why should I tell you?! It's none of your business!"

Kikuchi just sighed.

"Oh well.. It's not that I'm interested! C'mon! Let's just go down and eat, _sleepyhead!"_

'But it could have been better if I knew, honestly.'

Then he turned around and walked away. He didn't hear footsteps behind him following. Instead he heard a voice from the bathroom shouting,

"Just wait for me there!!!"

---

"So why did you want me to wake up immediately so badly?"

Kanzaki asked, sipping from her cup of hot chocolate.

Kikuchi looked at her from the newspaper and said,

"Well, eight in the morning is quite late already, don't you think?"

Kanzaki nodded but said,

"It is. But, we're not going to school today, anyway, so it's alright."

Kikuchi folded the newspaper saying,

"It's not 'coz we're not here for vacation. I just thought that what if our surveyor today comes early and sees that we're still sleeping?

"We just say, 'We're still sleepy, Sir/Ma'am.' And then go back to sleep."

Kanzaki replied nonchalantly.

Kikuchi drank his coffee first.

"You think it's that easy?"

"Yes." Kanzaki said.

"They can't refuse us. We're their best students."

"But that doesn't mean we can take advantage of their trust." Kikuchi said.

"We have to be responsible enough."

Kanzaki chuckled.

"Man, Kikuchi! You're acting like a father!"

"And you're acting like a stubborn baby." Kikuchi snapped back.

They continued their breakfast in silence.

---

"What are we going to do today, anyway?" Kanzaki said, kicking off a pebble.

They were walking along the beach, Kikuchi reading something from his organizer.

"It says we practice assembling the device."

Then his mobile phone rang.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"What?"

"So?"

"WHAT??!"

"Uh, okay.."

"Okay, okay."

Kanzaki was just watching him, amused and when he pocketed the phone, she asked,

"Who's that?"

"Uchiyamada-sensei. Says he's the one assigned to come today but he can't."

Kikuchi said.

"Why?" Kanzaki asked.

"He said he's in the hospital 'coz Onizuka played a prank on him."

The male genius explained.

"Well, that's better. I don't want him to guide us, anyway." Kanzaki said.

But as an afterthought, she asked,

"But how would we know how to assemble the parts of the device??"

Kikuchi just looked at her blankly and said,

"Turns out there's a manual with the papers Fuyutsuki-sensei gave us."

"Okay. I'm sure we'll be able to do that." Kanzaki said.

"Why don't we start right away?"

Kikuchi stopped walking and said,

"You know what? I think that's a good idea."

They ran to the cabin and got the things they need.

---

"Man, I didn't know it was this complicated!" Kanzaki complained.

"What part are you doing, anyway?" Kikuchi inquired.

Kanzaki stopped working and wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand before answering.

"I read it's the main sensor for echolocation."

Kikuchi moved close to the part she was trying to assemble and after about five movements of his hand, he said,

"There, it's done."

Kanzaki's eyes widened.

"That's it?! And I've been working on it for ten minutes! That's five percent of the time we've spent for all the other parts!"

Kikuchi looked at her knowingly.

"It's pretty simple. I've worked on the same mechanism when I had a problem with my computer's processor. I think this is the part where the sensor translates the information, well, sound, into viewable outputs."

"You know what? Sometimes I think you just lack one point in IQ to be one of the few special students I belong to." Kanzaki said.

The said boy was flattered but before he could say something, he felt a drop of water on his cheek, then on his arm. He looked up the sky and around and noticed that it was drizzling.

Then suddenly, the raindrops became bigger and heavier.

"Let's go in , Kanzaki."

The said girl refused to follow him and instead, tried to gather the device they have just assembled.

Kikuchi shook her and said,

"Hey, you don't need to fix that up.. That's made to work underwater, right? Therefore, it's alright if it gets wet by the rain."

Kanzaki looked at him, smiling.

"It's not that, Kikuchi."

'What's with this girl??!' Kikuchi thought.

He stood up, thinking it'd be best if they go in right away. He then extended his arm for Kanzaki.

"I love the rain." She muttered before taking his hand.

"I hate to get sick." He told her.

Kikuchi was about to turn away when Kanzaki pulled him, causing him to turn around.

"Have you ever tried running around while it's raining?"

Pondering the question, Kikuchi looked at his hands, a habit he's formed when thinking. Looking at his hand, he realized he's been holding Kanzaki's hand since he assisted her.

Kanzaki saw that he was looking down and followed his gaze. Realizing that they were holding hands longer than necessary, her reflex movement was to snatch her hand away.

They were looking on the opposite directions when Koji-san's voice was heard, nearing them.

"Yoshito! Urumi!"

Soon enough, the older man was there, with two umbrellas in his hand.

"Hey, kids..! You might get sick out here. C'mon! Let's go inside."

Kanzaki was the first to regain composure.

"Uhm.. okay.. but I'm not going to use that umbrella!"

"You're going to catch a cold if you let yourself get rained on." Koji-san explained like it's something a girl of IQ 200 doesn't know.

Kikuchi got one umbrella from Koji-san and said,

"Never mind that girl. She gets really stubborn, you know. She says she loves the rain so why don't we let her get drenched on it?"

Then he walked to the direction of the house, followed by Koji-san shaking his head and Kanzaki taking in everything the rain is causing – pitter-patter, pitter-patter.


	5. Not A Waste

"speech"

'thoughts'

_POV of a character_

**TENZAI**

**Chapter 5**

**Not A Waste**

"See? I Told You!" Kikuchi berated her..

It was still raining outside. You can see the raindrops falling outside through the windows and hear the sound of water hitting a puddle formed in the ground. There are no people swimming that day due to the continual raining. No one came out of their houses, afraid of getting sick or worse, getting struck by lightning.

"But -sneeze- it felt good!" Kanzaki shouted in between sneezes.

Kikuchi had just entered the room, being informed by their guardians that his partner has a cold, as expected.

"What? Getting sick?" He asked sardonically.

Kanzaki folded her arms like a child and said,

"Funny. It's the running in the rain I'm referring to!"

The boy approached her bed while saying,

"I know, I know. But I told you you'll get sick in the process!"

"It's okay, actually. Kanzaki Urumi doesn't get pulled down by a simple cold."

This time, she looked at Kikuchi proudly.

Kikuchi rolled his eyes and said,

"Yeah, right. Whatever."

By that time, he was already sitting on a bean bag beside the bed. They both stopped talking as they watched the rain, almost admiringly.

_**-Kanzaki-**_

_I love the rain. Really. It soothes my soul. I don't know why._

_Some people say that the rain is a disaster. A bad omen, even. I don't know where they got that ? Where did they get that stupid assumption? From legends, maybe. But no one can say if legends are true so why should we believe them?_

_They say it destroys lots of lives and property. Does it? I mean, occasional raining won't hurt. It's when the rain becomes something bigger, a storm maybe, that it becomes destructive. A little rain won't hurt._

_Besides, it's the people's fault that storms become too detrimental. Sometimes even Storm Signal No. 1 destroys millions worth of property. Why? I think it's punishment. It's just the nature's way of a comeback for what we, people, do to it._

_On the other hand, there are those who believe that the rain is a blessing._

_Take the Chinese, for example. If two people are vowing their love for each other, getting married, I mean, and it rains, the people will rejoice. They believe that the rain is a symbol of good luck. Good things will pour like the rain to the couple._

_Anyway, I love the rain. I don't really care about the beliefs of other people. Definitely, I don't think rain is a devastating thing. Neither do I believe that it will bring me pieces of good fortune._

_I just find it soothing. Comforting. It's like a friend who doesn't talk but soothes. Just the mere presence of it makes me feel relieved._

_But here I am today, sick and in bed, because of the rain. I don't care at all._

_**-Kikuchi-**_

_I wonder what Onizuka and the others are doing now.. And I wonder what Onizuka's third goal is. Sometimes he can be the most cunning dumb guy in the world. He seems really stupid but hey, there are some problems only he can solve._

'_Coz he has his ways._

_Like when he planned that motorcycle ride with Kanzaki._

_I bet he knew from the beginning that she will concede. She's not yet prepared to die. And even if she didn't protest, I know Onizuka would not let her fall. He'll find another way to make her admit that she's afraid of death like most of the people in this world._

_I wonder what'll happen if Onizuka didn't pull that stunt. Maybe Kanzaki's still that self-dependent stubborn girl who bombs places for her own enjoyment._

_But she's still stubborn._

_That's why we're here today. It's actually a waste of time.Instead of doing something for our research, we're here, sitting, and.. Well, drifting to our own worlds._

_But maybe this 'waste' of time is not such a waste. It could be our rest day. They will probably postpone the research if they knew. But I honestly think we've had enough rest. The jobs they allot each day are pretty easy. Those tasks could probable even be squeezed into two or three days but we're staying here a lot longer than that._

_But still, getting the whole day for yourself is nice, isn't it? It's very rare that I get the chance of having a day wherein I can do anything I want._

_But what do I want? What can I do in this place that'll suit me? Hmmm.. Since this is the beach.. I can go swimming.. I ca even tour the place._

_But doing that without Kanzaki could be boring. Erm.. Let me rephrase that! Doing those alone could be boring._

_So to achieve both things.. I'm referring to overcoming boredom and spending time with her. Er.. What the hell am I thinking? Of course it's overcoming boredom and not being lonely in the process._

_Maybe I could just stay here and watch over her. I'm sure it won't take long before she recuperates. I can read a book or two while doing that. I just hope I don't get bored in the four corners of this room._

_But wait.._

Kikuchi turned his attention from the rain outside to the girl beside him.

"Have you eaten your breakfast, Kanzaki?"

This shook her out of her own thoughts.

"Uh.. Not yet, actually."

"You want me to get you some food?"

The question shocked them both.

'Since when did you start serving food to a girl?' He thought.

Since Kanzaki was pretty hungry, she thought.

'Oh well, maybe I look really sick that he offered to do that kind thing. Might as well grab the offer. Hehe'

"Sure, Kikuchi. I'd love that."

Kikuchi, who was still battling himself for being kinder than normal, just nodded and started his way to the kitchen.

Kanzaki smiled at the retreating form and lay down on the bed.

_**- Kikuchi - **_

_Sigh. I closed the door behind me and leaned on it. Maybe rubbing my temples would help me even just a bit. This is getting worse._

_What's happening to me?? First, I start thinking about spending time with Kanzaki and now, I'm offering her some help. It's like practically saying that I'd take care of her while she's sick. What's next?_

_Arg.. Sigh First things first._

_I went down to the kitchen to do what I'm supposed to do, only to see Ryoko-san with a tray of food in her hands._

"_Oh, you're back! I was just about to bring this to your friend."_

_It's amazing how someone's eyes could continue glinting even if somebody staying with her under the same roof is sick._

"_Actually.. I went down to get her some food, Ryoko-san."_

"_Well then, bring this to her for me."_

_She said, as she handed me the tray._

"_Thanks a lot."_

_I said, as I took the tray from her._

_I turned around immediately and went back to the room. It's already nine in the morning. I might as well hurry up._

Kanzaki was lying quietly on the bed when Kikuchi arrived. She turned her head to the door when she heard it open.

"Oh, you're back.."

The said guy just nodded again and walked to her bedside.

"Here."

He placed the tray down the side table and looked at her.

"You're fast."

She said.

"It's because when I got down, Ryoko-san was just about to bring you the food. So, I didn't spend time in choosing and preparing what to bring."

"Well then, thanks"

She said.

"No prob. Besides, the sooner you heal, the sooner we get to work on our research again. The sooner we go back to Seirin."

Kikuchi replied, walking to the bean bag he was sitting at earlier.

'Yeah, the sooner we go back.' Kanzaki thought.

'Why? Am I not a good company? Of course! I'm not even used to having company! Is that why he's helping me? And here I thought he actually cared. Oh well..! Go back to reality, Kanzaki!'

She thought as she shook her head.

Seeing her reaction, Kikuchi asked her,

"Is there something wrong?"

Kanzaki was a bit shocked, but she stopped shaking her thoughts away.

"No, no, nothing. Just a minor headache, that's all."

With that, she stood up and walked to the desk to eat.

When she was about to start, she stopped a bit.

"Hey, who's supposed to 'guide' us today?"

"I heard it's Sakurai-sensei."

Kikuchi said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Sakurai? The chairman, eh? The job today must be tough."

Kanzaki said, before she took her first sip of the soup.

"Yeah. It's the major part, actually. Today, we're supposed to bring the device to the ocean and test it."

Kanzaki stopped and looked at Kikuchi.

"Really? My getting sick must be a really big obstacle, then."

Kikuchi's eyes assuaged.

'She must be blaming herself.'

"No. It's okay. I've already called Sakurai-sensei and told her about what happened."

"What did she say?"

"She said it's okay."

Kikuchi answered.

"Okay then. I don't think I'll stay like this for a long time, anyway."

Kanzaki said, drinking hot chocolate from her cp after.

"I think so, too."

Kikuchi said, leaning on the wall.

"Yup. I mean, It's just a freakin' cold. It won't get into me. I'll probably be back to normal later."

Kikuchi sighed and said,

"I hope so."

They stayed quiet for the rest of Kanzaki's meal. When she was through, she went back to her bed and continued gazing at the rain. Kikuchi pulled out a book from his pocket and started reading it.

About an hour later, Kanzaki was already lying on her bed. She looked at Kikuchi and inquired,

"What are you reading?"

"The Little Prince."

Kikuchi answered, his eyes glued to the book.

"Oh. I haven't read that yet. I heard it from Tomoko, though."

She said.

Kikuchi closed the book and placed it beside him.

"Figures. You know at first I wasn't interested because a lot of 'normal' people read it."

"Hmm?" Kanzaki started. "And what brought you to read it?"

Kikuchi removed his glasses and placed his elbows on his knees, rested his chin on his palms.

"In the beginning, I said, 'It won't hurt reading these stuff, right?' Besides, they say you can get even a single piece of something from any book. So I started reading it. It looked pretty lame outside. With that rugged-looking boy and a portrait of the world in the cover."

"Uh-huh. I have seen the cover, too. It's like a drawing of a child."

Kanzaki said, turning to her side to face the guy she's talking to.

"Yes, and even in the beginning, there're drawings that might seem stupid at first. But when I read it, I found out it's not really shallow. If you try to understand things more, it's more of figurative. Plus,"

He said.

"Hmm?"

Kanzaki said a bit sluggishly.

"The thing that attracted me in the beginning is its criticisms of the older people. It's quite funny but true. Funny that somebody would actually publish that deliberately. It said older people tend not to notice important points about things anymore. They focus on such things like money, unlike young people who look more on the beauty of things."

He continued.

Kanzaki, being the it's-the-elder's-fault type, said,

"Sounds interesting..!"

Kikuchi turned his head to her and said,

"You should read it. It's not as stupid as it seems. I'll lend it to you, if you want. I've finished it already."

He handed her the book and she gazed at it, observing the features and summary written at the back.

"It won't hurt reading it. You could even read it within an hour."

He said.

Kanzaki placed the book beside her pillow and said,

"Well then, I'll read it. If a smart guy like you appreciated it, I think it deserves to be read. I'll read it, but not before I get some rest."

"Okay. I'll just go to my room and fix some things. I'll prepare the device since it got wet yesterday."

Kanzaki just nodded 'coz she's already half-asleep by then. He exited the room and went to do what he said he'll do.


	6. Red

"speech"

'thoughts'

_POV of a character_

**TENZAI**

**Chapter 6**

The previous rains have been very opulent, not to mention pernicious, to some areas of the country. It made the daily routines moribund. The fishermen who you will usually see early in the morning weren't there during the past few days unless they wanted to catch a disease or drown in the then fierce slosh of water due to the sharp winds. The mothers weren't seen hanging their families' clothes to dry outside anymore. Worst of all is seeing the once gallivanting children inside their homes, watching beside their windows with such forlorn faces, waiting for the rain to cease for them to be able to play outdoor games once again.

Today, thankfully, Kami-sama decided not to pour down any more grisly, deluging amount of water that seemed to be His form of glowering at the now dry land, more specifically at the people it contains. Therefore, what should have been done by our two protagonists (not that there was an antagonist..) long ago may now be finally resumed.

The two woke up early and bumped into each other in the corridor.

"Hey, you're up early today," Kikuchi started.

"Well, I just finished reading that book of yours, you know, the Little Prince.," Kanzaki answered.

"Oh, so how did you find it?" he asked, heading to the staircase at the end of the corridor.

"It's fine, really, not as crappy at it seems.," she said, trailing behind him.

In the stairs, they met the ever-so-happy couple, Ryoko and Koji. Ryoko immediately greeted them with a jest.

"Good morning, you lovebirds..," She said, with a knowing grin.

But we all know that our two geniuses do not like being teased. Especially with such a mushy moniker. Their faces immediately got beet red with embarrassment as they shouted in unison, "What?"

The plump, middle-aged woman replied with a faltering smile, "I guess your morning is not so good, then.."

It's a good thing that her husband was with her that instant. He nudged her and tried to apologize to the teenagers.

"Honey, stop that. You're embarrassing them. Anyway, kids, just in case you didn't know, the rain has stopped. You can now continue your work. Oh, not that I already want you to finish and go, but well, just in case,--"

The said teens looked at each other, immediately said a thank you to the housekeepers and ran outside.

Ryoko and Koji blinked at each other shockingly and said, "What was that about? Thank you?"

The warm rays of the sun greeted them upon emerging from the house that has kept them like captives for days.

"Finally.." Kikuchi said with a sigh and a stretch of his arms upon going out of their house.

However, his partner seemed to be far from happy with how he looks at the current weather.

"What do you mean finally? The heavens have been munificent to me these past few days," She said, crossing her arms and harrumphing at the same time.

But he didn't seem to be happy with _her_ reaction, either. He pulled out a rolled newspaper, which was stuffed inside his pocket, and showed it to her.

"Munificent? Munificent with _what?_ With mayhem?" He said, all the while pointing at the pictures of greatly flooded areas and a number of families that were cramped inside a few evacuation areas.

Kanzaki just looked nonchalantly at the pictures and said, "I only said munificent to _me. _Those," she continued, now pointing to the pictures, "are not included in my statement."

She placed her arms down and raised an eyebrow at Kikuchi.

"Why are you being histrionic, anyway? You look unscathed by the typhoon, anyway."

In return, he glared at her and replied, "Look here. First of all, I _am_ affected. We could have finished our work and gone home by now, if it weren't due to the rain. Plus, we couldn't have been stuck in that house walking our asses off and around like we were hypnotized already. Second of all, you could at least show some empathy for those who were greatly affec—"

But his dramatic speech had been cut off by a yawning girl in front of him. She tapped his nose like a little ignorant kid and said, "Well, sorry to say but empathy does not exist in my vocabulary. Not even sympathy exists."

She walked away, leaving an irked Kikuchi behind.

'That girl, she just had to ruin my beautiful morning with her insufferable tolerance with stuff like these.. She is just so obdurate! Hmmph.. There's no use blabbering here.. We have to finish our work here so I can now free myself of these frequent arguments..'

A few hours later, the duo emerged from the house again, after a nice breakfast prepared by the husband and wife and a nice hot bath, too.

"So?"

"I already told Sakurai-sensei that we will resume our work today."

"So?"

"And the device is already being carried by Koji-san from the basement. I kept it there so that it won't get wet."

"And?"

"The yacht that we're going to use is ready. He said he'll just put it there."

A nod.

"So, we have to get ready. I think the outfits for diving are inside the yacht. We better get there right away."

"Okay, then," Kanzaki said as she started to head for the yacht in a semi-port.

Kikuchi was also about to go there but he stopped for a moment and hit his forehead with his palm. This made Kanzaki turn back as she heard the loud sound of the slap.

"Err.. Go first. I left my cellular phone inside the house. Sakurai-sensei said she'll call me when they are already near the vicinity," Kikuchi said.

Kanzaki looked at her and asked, "They?"

"Yah, with her driver, of course," He said before running to the house.

"Oh," Kanzaki replied before continuing her disrupted walk. While she was walking, an idea formed in her mind.

'Since he's being touchy today…'

Kikuchi walked out of the house with his phone in hands, talking to Sakurai-sensei.

"Okay, sensei…. You're in?… Okay… Which wing?….. Okay, just turn to your right, and when you see stoplight, turn right again. When you see a store with a huge poster of… Yep, that's it…. And uh, sensei.. you still have to walk… Well.. just walk straight and when you reach a stream, cross it, then turn to the right… You'll see a house that's not so large near the shore... Yup, that's all.. But I have to warn you, sensei, that's a pretty long walk, though it doesn't seem so.. Hahah.. "

Still not ending the call, he looked at the ocean overlooking from where he was standing.. And saw a..

"What the!"

"Hello, Kikuchi? Is everything alright," Sakurai asked in the phone..

Remembering the phone, he switched his gaze back there and said, "Uhmm.. I guess I'll just see you later, sensei.. There's one peculiar thing going on here."

He ended the call without even saying goodbye before rushing to the shore with his binoculars..

"Huh? Is that an arm I see? A waving one at that.," He whispered while trying to get a better view to see if it was really what he assumed it to be.

His attention was caught more when he saw a streak of blonde near the flailing arms.

"What the heck.. Is that Kanzaki?"

He immediately dropped his binoculars near the shore and ran to the yacht. Well, he couldn't just dive in because the 'arms' he saw were very far from the shore.. It seemed like the owner of it, which seemed to be Kanzaki, was drowning.. Panic immediately rose from Kami-knows-where-inside-him and pushed him to just find a way to save her.

What's worse, she's not in the yacht.

He immediately stirred the yacht to the direction of the "flailing arms", which seemed to have stopped flailing by now. Due to the disappearance of the flagrant flitter, he even got more nervous with the thought that maybe his friend already lost consciousness.

He immediately got to where she was and saw that she was already far from the surface of the water. He pulled on the emergency switch and a mini-boat appeared from the side of the yacht. He jumped on it and tried to pull Kanzaki off the water.

'I didn't know you were this heavy, Kanzaki.' He thought while hauling her into the boat.

When he has successfully pulled her into the yacht again, he was already panting with exertion. His previous thought is now being worded blatantly.

"Geez, Kanzaki. I never thought you were _this_ heavy."

'Anyway, what happened to this girl, anyway?' She thought. 'Wait, I'll have to ask her that later. By now I have to find a way to wake her up.. Er.. should I slap her?'

He tried to slap her gently, but of course, that didn't work.

'Wait a minute..' He thought.

He took her pulse and let out a sigh of relief when he found out that her heart was still beating.

'My, how long has she been drowning there? Silly girl.. Now what should I do?'

He was thinking of a way to get her perception back as he absentmindedly took away some of her hair that were sprawled all over her face with his thumb on her gently caressing her cheek. He jolted up when an idea came into his mind.

'Why didn't I think of that? Erm, but this is Kanzaki we're talking about here.. I can't just do _that..'_

After a few minutes of contemplation, he finally decided.

'She still hasn't waken up yet? This leaves me no choice..'

He tilted up her head in attempt of resuscitating her back to consciousness.

'Now what did our Physical Education teacher tell us about the steps on this first aid? Check her pulse.. Well, I've already done that.. What's next?'

He got red again, for the second time around that day, due to the next step..

'Get a grip, Kikuchi! You're not doing this for hentai purposes okay?'

He then leaned on her chest to see if she was still breathing..

'Okay, clear here.. Hey, I forgot one stupid step.. DO I really have to say that line?' He remembered their sensei demonstrating the first aid asking the patient, "Hey, hey, hey, are you okay?", even if the patient is obviously not okay.

He realized he was still leaning on her when he felt slight movement beneath him..

'Woah.. What the heck.. Oh.. She's awake.. I better sit straight now.. Not that I was doing something out of the ordinary there..'

"I think she's awake.." He said gently..

He sat up straight and saw an Urumi Kanzaki with a grin on her face. She pointed an accusing finger at him and laughed. The latter just looked at her like she'd just grown another head.

"Ha ha… I.. got.. you.. there.." She sat up straight now, looking far from being drowned and nearly killed.

Kikuchi finally got the idea and began to think frenetically,

'She was just acting all this time? Silly me.. I must have looked really, totally, absolutely overreacting, then.. This is one hell of an embarrassment..'

Kanzaki was still laughing her head off with her arms around her stomach..

"You.. looked.. so.. hilarious.."

Kikuchi paled and stammered, "You.. actually.. saw me? I thought your eyes were closed for this 'pretend game' of yours!"

She answered, her laughing lessening a bit, "Well, I peeked twice or thrice, you know.. Even when you were just in the yacht you looked so afraid! Haha! This is so hilarious! Did you actually think I'll let myself drown just like that? That was so picture perfect! Too bad, it had to end so soon, though, when I realized you were about to give me an artificial resuscitation.. I just can't let that happen, you even reached the third step, you pervert!"

Kikuchi is by now speechless, infuriated and full of chagrin. He was red with embarrassment, for the third time that day.

Kanzaki got a closer look at him, still guffawing and said,

"Look at you! You.. are.. so.. funny! You actually looked scared of me drowning! You actually looked like you cared!"

Kikuchi immediately stood up, turned back and said, although barely just above a whisper, "I actually did…" He was so humiliated he walked away with his head bowed.

Kanzaki heard it but she just ignored the sudden leap she felt in her chest.

"What did you just say? You gotta be kidding!"

Kikuchi turned around and shouted at her, to her surprise.

"Look here, Kanzaki. If you can go kidding around, well, I can not, okay! The next time you do that I won't help you anymore. Even if it's a real accident already, I won't care anymore like I did today, get it! A genius like you should know the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf by now."

Kanzaki just blinked at him as he walked away.

'I can't believe he said all those things..'

She sighed when he was nowhere in sight already.

"No one has ever dared to talk to me that way except for Onizuka. And I never let anyone get past me without a punishment just like that.. Except for Onizuka.. And him.. What's going on with me?"


	7. The Big Day

"speech"

'thoughts'

_POV of a character_

**TENZAI**

**Chapter 7**

Kikuchi's POV 

_Kanzaki can be a pain in the neck sometimes.. You must have thought I'd be used to her by now since I'm her closest friend, if she even considers me one, in the gang. _

_But no! No one can ever fathom what's running through that mind of hers. What with an intelligence quotient that can rival lots of famous geniuses. Even I can't tell what plan she's got in store for us for the future. _

_Take my experience for example. I bet she pulled out that stunt a few minutes before I came back from getting my mobile phone in the house. She was just arguing with me about the rain and empathy. That's one typical Kanzaki for me, I guess._

_When I saw somebody almost drowning in the ocean, I immediately thought of rescuing the person. When I realized that it was she, I actually doubled my efforts of saving her. Like I said, I _did_ care. Why shouldn't I? We're partners in this stupid experiment. Now that I mention it, I wonder why we were chosen to do this. Even Onizuka can do simple things like these. _

_As I was saying though, I actually got scared at the thought of her drowning. I got this unexplainable poignant feeling when I imagined her completely drowning and dying there. _

_Alright, then, I cared not just because we're partners in this experiment but also because she was my friend. Erm.. My _friend, _okay? My friend. Why does it seem like I'm convincing myself here?_

_Anyway, before that statement leads somewhere else, I laboriously took her out of the ocean. She must be really good in holding her breath 'coz she was under the water for such a long time. I'd at least give her credit for _that.

_At any rate, why do I feel my conscience tugging at me? I shouldn't be sorry, right? After all, she was the one who did something wrong. I can't even think of a good reason for her to do that. She must have wanted so badly to make me look so asinine. She must've have found it highly entertaining._

_That's a big ego bruise for me. The weird thing is, I feel like I should go apologize to her. Maybe because I also acted a bit rude to her. Yes, she deserved that but I shouldn't have reacted that way. I've been shouting her since the morning for different reasons and I regret it now._

_It's unfair that the guys should do all the apologizing even if the girls were the ones who did something wrong. 'We would appear even worse in the eyes of the people if we don't. Plus, we actually feel sorry for certain things we do even if we don't show it all the time due to one thing called pride. _

_Well, not _all_ men do that. Insensitive, obnoxious guys will never do that. But I'm not obnoxious and insensitive! So I guess I'd better say sorry to her then. After all, I really _am_ sorry. But I am not sorry for telling her the truth that if she continues doing stuff like those, no one will help her when the time comes that she really needs help. I meant every word I said. I will just be saying sorry for the _way_ I told her all of those._

_Right. That is the most logical solution I can find to my problem._

It's a good thing that Sakurai-sensei arrived after Kikuchi's conversation with himself. It made all his thoughts dissolve for a while.

"Kikuchi!" she shouted from the shore.

Kikuchi has maneuvered the yacht to the semi-port a while ago. It was a good thing that he has changed into his casual clothes again, thinking of letting their school's head to rest first before doing their job.

He went down and greeted Sakurai sensei. He noticed that the driver was carrying her luggage, which was not at all many.

"Good morning, Sakurai-sensei," He faced the driver and said, "The house is there. Please feel free to rest there for a while."

He nodded to Sakurai-sensei and headed to the four-walled confinement that housed them for the past week. They entered and Kikuchi immediately went to the kitchen to prepare their two visitors a few snacks.

The headwoman sat in the couch of the divan of the living room and commented, "This is one cozy place, ne?"

Kikuchi nodded while preparing coffee and said, "Yes, it is ma'am. It has been exceptionally blissful these past few days, except when the storm came, I guess.." He mentally added, 'Except until this morning came.'

Sakurai-sensei headed to the dining area as Kikuchi was setting the coffee and a few pastries on the table. She sat down and asked, "Where's your partner, by the way?"

Kikuchi, who has just sat down, began to wonder where she actually was. He hasn't seen her after that incident.

Suddenly, a cheery girl, blonde girl to be exact, came from upstairs and greeted Sakurai-sensei with a smile. "Here I am, guys..!" Behind her were the two landlords who have been taking care of them.

Kikuchi looked at her surprisingly and asked, "Since when did you arrive here?"

Kanzaki unflappably looked at him and replied, "Since the yacht arrived in the shore, silly."

Kikuchi gave her an is-that-so? look before sipping on his coffee, although deep inside he was irritated at how happy she could look like nothing happened. 'Why is it that I'm the only one affected in here?' he thought.

"Anyway," Kanzaki started, "I called Ryoko-san and Koji-san to meet you, Sakurai-sensei."

The three elder people greeted each other and proceeded with their formalities.

"Hi, I'm Sakurai Ryoko, the headmaster of Seirin," the latter said.

"Oh, we have the same name!" Ryoko-san said.

Ryoko, the headmaster smiled at her and said, "Isn't that great? We'll be having two Ryoko's in here until tomorrow."

Kikuchi interjected, "Yup, and her husband has the same name as Sanomaru-sensei."

Koji-san just scratched his head and said, "There are only a few names that the population shares, I guess.."

They shared a hearty laugh and went on with their snacks. The husband and wife suggested that the Sakuraisensei sleep for a while before they go on with their experiment.

Later that afternoon, the three people met in the shore to continue their experiment. Kikuchi let the headmaster in the yacht first for her to get a nice view of the ocean before they proceed.

While she was going around and observing the yacht, Kikuchi decided to approach Kanzaki. 'It's now or never,' he thought.

_Kanzaki's POV_

_Again, it's a wonderful thing that I get to enjoy the limpid view of the waters and the wonderful feeling of the wind blowing around. It's a pity that Sakurai-sensei didn't get to travel going here as we did. She must have suffered long, boring hours of sitting in that cramped car._

_I was beginning to wonder when Sakurai-sensei would come. It took her so long to walk from the parking area outside to here. I have already played drowned and stuff and she still hasn't come._

_Oh no, I remember that drowning incident again. As much as I hate to admit, Kikuchi's statements have hit me hard. I guess it's true. I knew that from the start. That I will eventually lose people who will help me in the future due to my rash behavior and evil schemes. But I never cared. After all, I was used to being alone and not helped all along._

_Maybe that's why I felt sorry when I realized that Kikuchi actually cared when he thought I have drowned. I didn't know how to react since I haven't felt cared for for a long time. It touched me and at the same time aggravated me. I was touched because I never knew he'd care for me enough to find ways to revive me. I saw the look n his eyes that time and even if I said it was funny, I had this queasy feeling at how concerned he was for me. At the same time, that is the same reason that I am aggravated. I'm not used to such treatment and I am certainly not used to feeling sorry for the pranks that I pull._

_Sure, it was a joke at first but I didn't think it'd affect us both _that_ much. I was just pretty bored, maybe. To add up, he was rather touchy since morning and you know how I love plotting schemes that could trigger the mood of the people, or worsen it at times._

_Now I am feeling sorry for what I did. And I don't know how to react to this. I may be a genius but I've locked away such emotions as compassion that I considered might ruin my already ruined life even more. That's why I don't know what to do with this feeling of being sorry._

_Hey wait, isn't that Kikuchi approaching? Speaking of the devil. Right, just what I need right now. Why could he be here? He should be accompanying Sakurai-sensei instead. And why is he looking so.. in concentration?_

Kikuchi approached her. He didn't know how to say what he wanted so he decided to get straight to the point. "Hey, Kanzaki.."

Kanzaki immediately looked at him with a mixture of emotions. She didn't know either how to talk to Kikuchi in such state. So she decided to go for the usual Kanzaki reply. "What do you want? Here to give me another homily?"

Kikuchi flinched a bit at her harsh words and thought, 'So she really is not affected by this, huh? I might as well get it over with easily before I cower here..'

He shook his head and stood firm with a very resolute look, though he couldn't help but show an I'm-sorry look. He needs that for this, of course.

"I just came to say sorry."

Kanzaki's irked look transformed into a completely shocked one. She blinked once, and twice..

Kikuchi stepped a bit closer to her and chuckled a bit.

"I never thought I'd see the day Urumi Kanzaki becomes speechless."

Kanzaki raised her eyebrow at him and hit him in the arm.

"Don't get any idea, mister!"

"So," Kikuchi said, "does that mean I'm forgiven?"

Now it's time for Kanzaki to chuckle. "You're stupid, you know."

"What?" Kikuchi said disbelievingly. "No one ever told me that before. And certainly, no one has ever told me that saying sorry is stupid."

"Funny. I should be the one doing that, you know," Kanzaki said with her head bowed, like she just admitted being the master mind of a massacre.

"You know what?" Kikuchi said, "I also never thought I'd see the day Urumi Kanzaki contemplates on apologizing. That's why I came here to do the honor."

Kanzaki harrumphed and said, "Is that an insult or a compliment?"

"Depends on how you take it," Kikuchi answered with a smirk.

Kanzaki thought for a while and raised her head. "I'll take that as a compliment then."

"Hmm.. I wonder why.." Kikuchi said, also thinking. "Anyway, I want you to know that I said sorry not because I was sorry for what I said. I'm sorry for how I said it. I realized I was being hot-headed since morning."

Kanzaki just nodded, seeing that the brown-haired guy was being serious again,.

Kikuchi looked her in the eye and said, "Meaning, I meant every word I told you."

Kanzaki looked at him accusingly and said, "Even the "I actually cared" part?"

Kikuchi just blinked and muttered a "Well.."

Kanzaki chuckled and said, "I never thought I'd see the day Kikuchi Yoshito becomes speechless. Alright then, seeing that you're serious enough to be speechless, you're forgiven. Am I?"

Kikuchi looked at her and said, "If you change that attitude of yours."

Kanzaki pouted, crossed her arms and said, "That's not fair! I'd change my one and a half decade habit just because of a ten-minute conversation with you? You think so highly of yourself!"

"Then you're not forgiven yet," Kikuchi said, laughing.

At that point, Sakurai-sensei arrived and said, "I see you're getting acquainted. Maybe I came in at the wrong time?"

"No ma'am," Kikuchi said, stopping his laugh.

"Nothing's going on here. We better get on with this experiment."

They went to their rooms to change into their diving clothes, with a twinkle of suspicion in the eyes of the headmaster.

The three did the experiment under water. Just for the record, echolocation is the location of objects by their echoes - a highly specialized faculty that enables dolphins to explore their environment and search out their prey in a watery world where sight is often of little use.

They had fun while doing it because they were able to see different plant and animal lives underwater. It was a bit difficult, though since sound travels four times faster in water than in air, the sharpness of the sounds could sometimes be painful. All in all, it was an amazing experience for them because it was like "seeing through sounds".


End file.
